Trial for Howard Boys Gang Scheduled to Begin in Flint

A trial for a half-dozen men accused of using violence and intimidation to control the drug trade on Flint's south side is scheduled to begin.

According to MLive, jury selection is expected to begin today (5/27) in Flint's U.S. District Court after a 42-count indictment by federal prosecutors accusing the men as being part of the Howard Boys street gang.

Six men indicted federally have already reached plea agreements and are expected to testify during the trial which could last two months. Another ten men also believed to be associated with the gang were charged in state court.

The federal trial will include charges related to three homicides and four attempted homicides. Authorities say the gang operated in and around the Howard Estates housing complex with a territory that included the area around Lapeer Road, Lippincott Boulevard, Dort Highway and 12th Street near South Saginaw Street. Prosecutors claim the men controlled the sale of crack cocaine and marijuana in this territory with violence by assaulting and even shooting others who attempted to sell drugs in that area.